While a lush lawn is not very difficult to acquire, you need to take appropriate steps to achieve it. As with other plants and greenery, a lawn too needs proper nourishment in the form of fertilizer. While there are many aspects to lawn care, one of the most important is to ensure that the correct fertilizer in the appropriate quantity is applied at the optimal time. When all three aspects of fertilizer application are taken care of, your lawn will be a welcoming sight whether you are coming home, entertaining guests, or relaxing there by yourself. There are a variety of fertilizer packages available for lawns. Before you buy a fertilizer, you need to get the soil tested to determine what minerals are lacking. You also need to get the acidity levels of the lawn checked and ensure that the soil quality is right for the grass to grow. Next, you need to decide whether you want to use chemical or organic fertilizer on your lawn. Organic fertilizers are made by composting garden and other organic waste or by mulching. This fertilizer can be used on most types of soil and extra application will not harm the lawn. Additionally, organic fertilizer will help improve soil quality by aerating it and also helping it retain more water. These qualities will reduce the need for frequent watering, enhance root growth, and stop the growth of weeds and pests. You can also save on fertilizer costs by composting garden and other organic waste in your home. Chemical fertilizers come in a selection of formulations. Effectively they have a mix of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in different proportions. They are labeled NPK and the numbers that follow give the proportions of the three different minerals in the formulation. You need to choose the fertilizer mix that best meets the nutrient deficiencies revealed by the soil tests. While one can safely apply an abundance of organic fertilizers, chemical fertilizers should not be applied in excess. The amount of fertilizer you apply should be based on the soil tests. In general you can apply fertilizer twice a year to the lawn. The first and major application should be just before the winter or toward the end of fall to help the lawn survive the winter. The second application can be made at the beginning of spring if needed after testing the soil. If the soil is healthy, the lawn will grow during spring as it is the growing season without any additional application of fertilizer. Chemical fertilizers come in two types: the long lasting ones that are more beneficial and the quick acting fertilizer that can be used if you need to prepare your lawn quickly for a magnificent event such as a spring party or wedding. By taking care to apply fertilizer on the lawn after testing the soil you will be able to ensure its health over the long term.
